December is Safe Toys and Celebrations Month

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), roughly 1 in 10 children's eye injuries that end up in the ER are caused by toys. A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics showed a steep increase in the number of eye injuries from BB, pellet, airsoft, and paintball guns. Common eye injuries include corneal abrasion, hyphema, or blood in the front of eye, foreign bodies, and open globe injuries. Fasika Woreta, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Eye Trauma Center at Wilmer Eye Institute, stresses the importance of wearing protective eyewear when playing with any toy that launches projectiles, including Nerf toys. Parents should also be cautious when choosing holiday gifts for young people, even teenagers: In the study, children ages 13 to 17 accounted for nearly half of injuries from projectile toys.